Experts suggest government share power with GAM

Experts suggest government share power with GAM

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The government should offer a power-sharing arrangement to the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in governing oil and gas-rich Aceh as
part of an effort to end the decades-long conflict in the
province, a number of experts have said.

Head of the Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University's Center
for Security and Peace Studies, Syamsu Panggabean, said that such
a conflict resolution model had been adopted to settle protracted
conflicts in other countries, such as between the Philippine
government and the Moro National Liberation Front, and between
the British government and Northern Ireland separatists.

"Clearly, there will have to be power sharing," Panggabean
told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

He said that the government and GAM leaders should hold a
series of talks to devise a mechanism by which power sharing
could be implemented.

"Settling the conflict in Aceh is possible. What both sides
must do is to be serious in the negotiations, meaning they must
listen and consider each other's demands instead of forcing the
other side to accept their proposals," he said.

Recent talks between the government and GAM's exiled leaders
in Helsinki ended inconclusively, although a number of officials
from both sides said they intended to meet again in the "near
future", possibly this month, to discuss ways of ending the
conflict, which has killed tens of thousands people. The latest
peace negotiations have been facilitated by the Finnish Crisis
Management Initiative (CMI).

But Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security
Affairs Widodo AS has insisted that any future talks with GAM
must be based on the concept that Aceh remains part of the
Unitary Republic of Indonesia, albeit with special autonomy.

Smita Notosusanto, who heads the Center for Electoral Reform
(Cetro), agreed with Panggabean, suggesting that the government
allow GAM members to stand in local elections.

"Both sides have their reasons for continuing the conflict in
Aceh, which is rich in natural resources. But, basically it's
about power. Why doesn't the government allow GAM members to
participate in elections?" she asked.

Elections would serve as a good tool for both sides to prove
their respective commitments to ending the conflict, Smita said.

By participating in elections, GAM could prove its claim that
it is supported by most Acehnese, while at the same time Aceh
would be maintained as part of Indonesia.

On the other hand, the government would be able to prove to
the Acehnese that they will be allowed to fully enjoy the special
autonomy they have been granted.

"I personally think that GAM members would not hesitate to
stand for election as regents. If they refused, they would only
confirm their position as criminals. Only elections would be
capable of confirming their claims to public support," Smita
said.

Unlike local elections in other provinces and regencies in
the country, the Aceh Special Autonomy Law (No. 18/2001) allows
independent candidates to stand in regental or gubernatorial
elections. The Aceh legislative council has also issued local
regulations on the issue, Smita said.

GAM has been fighting for independence since 1976. Both the
government and GAM had earlier produced a series of agreements to
stop the conflict in Aceh on a temporary basis, but they failed
to bring about a binding peace.

The most recent truce between the government and GAM was the
Cessation of Hostilities Agreement, which was signed in 2002. It
collapsed in 2003, and martial law was quickly imposed in the
province. This has since been toned down to a state of civil
emergency.